视网膜再生新模式：非洲爪蟾模型的价值？

视网膜再生新模式：非洲爪蟾模型的价值？

视网膜是中枢神经系统的一部分，对从事中枢神经再生研究的神经生物学家来说其一直是一种极好的器官模型。而在这方面，两栖动物的再生模型更加有优势。其中非洲爪蟾是很好的视网膜再生动物模型有以下几个原因：首先，成年动物中任何类型视网膜损伤组织都可以再生，因此能够在一个模型研究再生的各个方面；其次，眼组织中有多源干/祖细胞；第三，不同的动物模型，非洲爪蟾和热带爪蟾基因相近，可用于展示不同的再生模式。细胞和分子水平的比较可以揭示环境因素对再生发生的影响；第四，几种不同的培养模型可用于不同的研究目的；第五，热带爪蟾特别适用于分子遗传机制的研究。来自日本奈良女子大学的Masasuke Araki教授讨论了他们最近发现的热带爪蟾视网膜再生新动物模型，并考虑其可能的临床应用。相关研究发表在2014年12月第24期《中国神经再生研究（英文版）》杂志上。

热带爪蟾模型的视网膜再生模式示意图：干/祖细胞在睫状体边缘区再生整个视网膜

Article: \Xenopus model \Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Nara 630-8506, Japan) Araki M. A novel mode of retinal regeneration: the merit of a new Xenopus model. Neural Regen Res. 2014;9(24):2125-2127.

A novel mode of retinal regeneration: the merit of a new Xenopus model

The retina is a part of the CNS and has long attracted neurobiologists as an excellent model organ for the study of CNS regeneration. The amphibian regeneration models are superior, because there are several different animal models that are comparable to each other and well-defined culture models are also established that enable stem cells to form in vitro retinal stratification. Prof. Masasuke Araki from Nara Women’s University, Japan have shown that Xenopus is an excellent animal model for retina regeneration for several reasons; First, retinal tissue can regenerates after any type of injuries in adult animals, making it possible to investigate various aspects of regeneration in one model. Secondly, there are multi sources of stem/progenitor cells in the ocular tissues. Thirdly, different animal models, X. laevis and X. tropicalis, genetically close to each other, are available and show different modes of regeneration. Comparison at cell and molecular levels can reveal the environmental cues for regeneration to occur. Fourthly, several different culture models are available for different purposes, and fifthly, X. tropicalis, in

particular, is suitable for genetic study of molecular mechanism. In the present review they discussed their recent finding on retina regeneration of X. tropicalis as a new animal model and consider the possibility for the application to clinical medicine. The relevant study has been published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 24, 2014).